The Voltaris arrived at Hailstone. The cold gusts of Northwind, usually lively and sweet, breathed down their spines as they entered. There, Senn found himself in a prison cell.
About a day later, a guard came and opened the door. "Your brothers are here." The Voltaris said. He lead Senn across the city. Red Ardoni dotted the streets, along with wither skeletons and the occasional Netheran. Some of then looked at Senn as he passed. A few exchanged whispers. Some just hurried away.
The guard led him to a small plaza just east of the city center. There, two young Voltaris waited for him. One had the identical markings as him. The other had near identical markings, and a wooden peg leg from the knee downwards. He leaned on a crutch as Senn approached, and greeted him.
"We were told that our youngest brother was killed, but here you are, at long last."
"So I am a Voltaris…" Senn whispered.
The other, whom he met at the Pass, said, "Only half Voltaris. We share Sendaris blood in our family, unfortunately." He paused. "My name is Deltheus Voltaris and this is my younger brother, as well as your twin older brother, Almrak Voltaris."
"When the Voltaris discovered the truth of our lineage," Almrak began. He sat down gingerly on the bench, his leg dangling over the edge. "They hunted down both of our parents. It was, after all, against our law to marry Ardoni of another clan, let alone have children."
"What is the punishment for this crime?" Senn inquired cautiously.
"Death." Deltheus answered. "With every other clan against us, to marry outsiders is considered treason. However, the old Voltaris leader, Dominus Voltaris, took favor to his niece. So he lessened the sentence to banishment."
"Hold on, are you saying…"
"Yes, we are the Deathsinger's nephews." Almrak said. "Our mother was his cousin, although, we might have to come up with a new phrase to describe this kinship."
"And," Deltheus put in, "because the law only stipulated, means wrote down," He added at Senn's furrowed brows, "that the adults were punished, and Ingressus pleaded that the children were innocent, Dominus allowed us to live under our uncle's care. We were told that you died at one because of a cold, but they must have managed to send you away."
Senn fell onto a bench opposite them and let out a long sigh. "I just…"
"You should really consider yourself lucky, Senn." Deltheus said. "The circumstances of your upbringing were far superior to our own. It is tough to be a Voltaris in this hostile world."
"I just can't believe I'm Voltaris." Senn sighed, his breath becoming a mist in the icy air. "All this time…"
Deltheus scoffed. "Welcome to the family."
"Don't mind him, Senn." Almrak said. "we all have reason to envy you. Times have been harder than usual on the Voltaris these past years."
"But after the Great War…"
"Yes, after the Great War," Deltheus said, "the other clans had assumed that the Voltaris were wiped out, except for one champion."
"Thalleous." Mumbled Senn.
"Yes. Hence it became paramount for us to stay hidden. We cannot trade. We cannot work, or help other people in anyway. Of course, Tygren alone knew about the portal. The rest of were just trying to survive."
They sat in silence, Senn contemplating what his mentor did. Back home, it seemed so righteous to hunt down and kill every last Voltaris. But now, now it felt so unreasonable to prey on fellow Ardoni who were struggling already to stay alive.
"Are you alright, Senn?" Almrak stood up, leaning heavily on his crutch. "You look like you've seen a ghost, and your markings are already white to begin with." Teetering, he shuffled towards Senn and sat down beside him.
"I'm okay…" Senn brushed away Almrak's hand. "I'm just a bit surprised is all. I still can't believe…I had ki…"
"So what've you been up to all these years?" Deltheus pressed, "What's it like…" Almrak gave him a stern look. "Ah, I'm sorry." Almrak apologized. "I shouldn't be the one asking all the questions. I'm sure you have many of your own."
Senn hesitated, then asked, "Where have you been all this time? I know Thalleous, that's the champion, said some of you were on Mount Velgrin, but surely, that place is far too inhospitable?"
"Yes, only the toughest of us, like Tygren, Lucidius, and a handful of others attuned with the Songs went there." Almrak answered. "Most of us have been hiding in the Barrier Mountains. The terrain is rugged and dangerous, which deters travelers, and makes for a rough lifestyle." He coughed. "Getting a cold is almost a yearly celebration of winter."
"Do you," Senn probed, "agree with what the Voltaris are doing?"
"To an extent." Almrak said. "Some Voltaris, such as Tygren and Lucidius, are extremists in their ideals. Which, unsurprisingly, have come to represent all of us. They seek not only peace with the world, but also crave revenge."
"And what do you brothers want?" Senn asked.
"I just want to live a normal life again." Almrak said wistfully, "perhaps settle in Old Voltaria where our clan once lived." He knocked his wooden leg with his crutch. I clearly won't be fighting in the war, or anywhere with this."
"That's not true." Senn said. "I read that some humans that rob others on the seas, pirates, have wooden legs just like you. Some even have hooks for hands. Yet still they fought. Just not, for the right reasons."
Almrak chuckled. "I'm not sea-savvy enough to become a pirate."
"How did you lose your leg?" Senn inquired.
"Oh, it was back when we first moved here." Almrak sighed. "I was a reckless teenager. Went exploring the mountains. Met a lone wolf. It bit my leg bad and by the time I struggled back to camp, it was frozen solid and the doctor had to amputate it."
They fell silent. "You know," Deltheus said, "You could ask Ingressus to initiate you into our clan. You could join the family."
"How?"
"Every master of the Ardoni clans hold a staff named after their clan." Deltheus explained. "We have the Voltar. The Mendoris have the Mendor, and so on."
"Deltheus sees it as a misfortune." Almrak interrupted, "but I see it as an opportunity." He looked at Senn. "Born of two different clans, we could be the ones to finally bring peace between the five clans."
A wither skeleton approached Almrak and said something. He nodded and the skeleton left. "Ingressus has summoned you to his chambers. It was a pleasure having this opportunity to converse, Senn. I hope we speak again soon. Come, Deltheus. Let us go home." He stood up and walked away. "Captan Almrak-beard?" Senn thought as he watched the red figure move down the street.
Senn climbed up the stairs to the tower's balcony, where the guard said Ingressus, the Voltaris Master, Deathsinger, waited for him. Finishing the stairs, he found Ingressus stood with his hands behind his back, looking out at the snow-laden city below.
"Please enter, Senn." Ingressus said without turning around. "Take a seat if you will. I myself prefer to stand." He indicated a row of benches along the tower's walls.
"Do I… frighten you?" Ingress asked gently.
"A little bit." Answered Senn. He still stood where he first came in, not daring to approach the seats.
"Good, that is how it should be." Ingressus turned around and came closer. "A little fear commands obedience, however one must also balance fear with respect." Senn did not know what to make of it. It seemed that the Deathsinger was death and a benevolent singer at the same time.
"We have more in common than you think, Senn." Ingressus continued. "I, too, was raised by another clan. However, I had the fortune of being initiated as Nestoris to hide my shame."
"So… you did not fake the Nestoris colors at the tournament?" Senn asked cautiously.
"Hah!" Ingressus leaned in. "What people do not know, when it is good, they attribute it to luck or something else. When it is bad, they think it's dark magic."
"However," Ingressus straightened up. "My story is not one that I share lightly. I can only tell you so much until the right time. Perhaps I have already revealed more than I should."
"What do you want with me?" Senn said crisply.
"Straight to the point, I like it." Ingressus nodded. "You fought well at the Vault, and I was quite astonished to see you take down Tygren, even though it was with the help of another."
"Thank you." Senn replied. "But please answer my question."
"I could kill you." Suggested Ingressus. "Many of the Voltaris would be pleased with that. But despite what people have named me, I do not kill without reason, and killing you will not bring me any closer to the Prime Songs."
"Why do you want the Primes?" Senn asked. "I have seen them. They emit an aura that captivates and corrupts. Not even the Tidesinger could withstand it."
"Yes, all Songs take from us for the power they give." Ingressus nodded. "But I want the Primes for a different reason.
"There was a time when all five Ardoni clans lived in harmony. The Voltaris were the youngest clan, and perhaps the most curious about the very nature of Songs. Brilliant Voltaris scientists conducted research and experiments on Songs. Not of their usage, but of their nature, composition, and combination. Many opposed this research, and tensions arose between the clans. Perhaps it was fate, or merely misfortune, that at this time we made the greatest discovery of all."
"The Prime Songs?" Senn ventured.
"Yes, the Prime Songs." Ingressus's eyes began to flame. "However, only four there are. The other clans decided to split the Primes amongst themselves to balance the power, and the Voltaris, being the discoverers, were denied a share of that power. Offended and outraged, we demanded a fair compromise. Instead, the clans united against us and banished us from Ardonia. But we are a stubborn clan. We refused to leave." He stopped, letting the information sink in.
"It was at this time that the tournament was established. Every five years, a victor is selected and he, seldom is it a she, was given the Prime Songs to wield against the Voltaris. Your mentor, or uncle, I should say, Thalleous Sendaris was one such champion." He looked deeply into Senn's eyes. Senn could see that, behind the rage, there was also sorrow, helplessness, and a desire for justice.
"One by one our havens fell." Ingressus continued. "I was raised in a small camp deep within the Barrier Mountains of Northwind. It was here that the final slaughter of our people took place. What you see here, barely one hundred Voltaris, is all that is left of us." Ingressus sat down. He took out his staff, the Voltar, and sword. Senn thought he saw tears brimming in his eyes.
"I still remember watching as everyone I had ever known was killed. The master of our clan at the time, Dominus Voltaris, hurried me out of the battle and imparted to me both Voltar, this sword, and leadership of the clan. I was so young, barely able to read a book." He wiped his nose with his hand. "Dominus, the old Master, was killed. I alone escaped that massacre."
Ingressus put away his weapons. "You will not find these tales on the Walls of Time, nor will anyone tell the stories of these wars. You may attempt to tell others of this truth, but none shall believe you."
"That is why I want the Prime Songs, Senn. To you, and to anyone in the other clans, they are merely a weapon to vanquish evil. But to us Voltaris, they are the source of evil, and to prevent them from being used against us, we must have them. They were ours to begin with, and the other clans have no right to them, especially after I won their damned tournament."
He straightened up. "You are right about the Prime Songs' corruption. Many champions, after their time has finished, refused to give up the Primes. Some, so I have heard, had to be constrained and have the Songs forced out of them. And they, they have corrupted me as well." There was silence. They both listened to the winds howling around them as the story sunk in.
"Why have you told me all this?" Senn said.
"Because you asked, Senn, and because you may yet succeed where I have failed." Ingressus replied. "Perhaps I revealed a bit more than I should have, and perhaps not. Either way, this war is about to come to a close."
He placed a hand on Senn's shoulder. "I have an offer for you, Senn. Bring me the two remaining Prime Songs, and I will destroy the Nether. Then, I and the rest of the Voltaris clan will settle in Old Voltaria and leave you in peace."
Guiding Senn down the stairs, Ingressus bid his farewell. "I will let you go. You are free to return to your friends, and tell anyone what I have told you. Remember my offer, Senn. Whether you like it or not, you are a Voltaris."